Tuesday, January 15, 2013

NPCs: Patches a Shadowrun Fixer

Like many GMs I've built a collection of NPCs over the years that the players have found memorable and thought I'd share them with the community at large. You never know when you are going to get inspiration, and the more you read the more something will come up when you're searching for ideas. One reason I like reading other people's campaign logs.

Anyway here is an NPC I created as a one off for Shadowrun that ended up being the groups normal fixer thereby far outgrowing what I'd originally created for him. There are no stats, I generally don't do statistics for my NPCs unless there is a good reason for them (needed in combat etc.)

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Patches is a relatively well known fixer for the Seattle underworld. Intelligent, well connected and generally well regarded by those who work for him. All a good job really, because Patches isn't a very well rounded character.


Born into a rich corporate family in Japan, Kanimoro Kaneda was the heir to a small B level corporation. Rich, well educated and treated with respect, by a young age he was on the fast track for board membership and was considered a made man. Diminutive he grew slowly, but was no less respected for it. Due to his slow growth he hit puberty late, and that was when it all changed. At 16, the man tipped to become the next chairman, goblinized into an orc.

Suddenly finding himself shunned by those who had respected him just weeks earlier, Kaneda was forced to flee for his life. He managed to take some small funds with him and fled on the first flight out of the country. He found himself in Seattle.

Using his money and corporate secrets he was able to get himself hidden within the shadows of Seattle's underworld. His intelligence hadn't left him, and he found himself able to easily make contacts and find out secrets in his new environment. Very quickly he was able to build a web of knowledge round himself as he carved out his new life.

Unfortunately his upbringing and sudden goblinization have had an impact on his psyche and he is no longer quite sane. Obsessed with fitting in and gaining acceptance, he has twisted his views of normalcy and become what some consider as more than slightly deranged. Most of his income now goes on surgeries, surgeries that he believes will restore his former acceptance.

Today Patches has gained his name from his rather odd appearance. Unless you know what you're looking for it is hard to determine that he is an orc. The goblinization has filled out his build from the weak young boy to only slightly heavier built than the average human male. His appearance is rather unorthodox though. His face is a mixture of difference races and lineage. In his attempt at determining human norms he has changed his appearance into that of stereotypical pre-goblinization races. The top right side of his face appears to be that of a male from India, the top left that of a Scandanavian blond. The bottom left seems like that of an African male while the bottom right that of what his idea would be of a Japanese male.

These pieces of his face have been obtained through surgery and grafts, and taken in isolation are near perfect renditions of the human races represented. Eye surgery, lip surgery, every step needed to reproduce the desired effect. Where they meet is a slightly ragged line that upon closer inspection is tattooed stitches over mild scar tissue.

His body is no different with his arms and legs all being of different skin colours, with differing levels of hair covering. How far his surgeries have gone beyond what is immediately visible is not known, but it is suspected that he has gone much further than what is shown.

Other than his eccentricities Patches is a valuable contact. He is a rare breed, trustworthy. His own abandonment has led him to never turning on his contracts, and always trying to make things right. He had gained the respect of many groups for his fairness and honesty, and should a threat be taken against him there are many who are willing to stand up for him.

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I've always wanted to try and do an illustration for him, but though I'm relatively creative, true art eludes me when it comes to drawing. 

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